In general, an apparatus for automatically stitching a material portion is known. For example, the Model 2800-series apparatus commercially available from Jet Sew Technologies Inc. is used to stitch a hem in washcloth material, terry cloth material, and the like. This conventional apparatus uses a clamp member to clamp a portion of washcloth material or the like against a sewing table so that an edge of the washcloth material portion is exposed. The clamp additionally moves the clamped washcloth material portion over the sewing table relative to a sewing head so that the sewing head sews a hem along one or more edges of the washcloth material. The sewing head is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the sewing table so that the sewing head is maintained in the same orientation relative to the washcloth material portion during sewing, regardless of the movement of the wash cloth material portion (by way of the clamp member).
In particular, the conventional Model 2800-series apparatus uses the clamp member to move the washcloth material portion relative to the sewing head so that consecutive edges of the washcloth material portion are stitched in sequence.
However, the Model 2800-series apparatus depends on the ability to freely slide the washcloth material portion over the sewing table to perform sewing. If the washcloth material portion or the tabletop material or both cause frictional resistance to such relative sliding, then it becomes difficult to consistently slide the material to be sewn, and the quality of the end product deteriorates. In particular, mat material used for bath mats, welcome mats, and the like, including a top surface material (e.g., carpeting, plastic artificial grass, etc.) and a slip-resistant bottom surface (frequently, but not always, made from rubber) is known, and it would be desirable to provide such a material with an edge binding to prevent fraying between the top surface and the bottom surface. However, the provision of the slip-resistant bottom surface retards, by definition, the free movement of such a mat material portion over the conventional sewing table, and thereby retards efficient processing of such mat material portions.